Vanity Fair , a novel by William Makepeace Thackeray |
CHAPTER XLI. In Which Becky Revisits the Halls of Her Ancestors |
【 名利場 : 四十一章。 蓓基重訪祖居】 ( 節譯 ) by 薩克雷
So the mourning being ready, and Sir Pitt Crawley warned of their arrival, Colonel Crawley and his wife took a couple of places in the same old High-flyer coach by which Rebecca had travelled in the defunct Baronet's company, on her first journey into the world some nine years before. How well she remembered the Inn Yard, and the ostler to whom she refused money, and the insinuating Cambridge lad who wrapped her in his coat on the journey! Rawdon took his place outside, and would have liked to drive, but his grief forbade him. He sat by the coachman and talked about horses and the road the whole way; and who kept the inns, and who horsed the coach by which he had travelled so many a time, when he and Pitt were boys going to Eton. At Mudbury a carriage and a pair of horses received them, with a coachman in black. "It's the old drag, Rawdon," Rebecca said as they got in. "The worms have eaten the cloth a good deal--there's the stain which Sir Pitt--ha! I see Dawson the Ironmonger has his shutters up--which Sir Pitt made such a noise about. It was a bottle of cherry brandy he broke which we went to fetch for your aunt from Southampton. How time flies, to be sure! That can't be Polly Talboys, that bouncing girl standing by her mother at the cottage there. I remember her a mangy little urchin picking weeds in the garden."
因 此， 哀 悼 的儀式穿的喪服 準 備好了，皮特 · 克勞利爵士預先告知他們要趕回來參加追悼會，帕特裏克上校和他的妻子一起乘坐一輛舊式的高雅的四輪馬車途中停留過幾個地方，就在大約九年前麗貝卡也曾在已去世的準男爵陪同下有生以來首次也乘坐這同一輛馬車踏上旅程外出旅遊。她非常清楚地記得那座客棧的院子 , 還有在那裏照料他們馬匹的馬夫向她要錢她沒有給，而那獻媚的劍橋小夥子在旅途中把他的大衣裹在她身上！馬車停下來 , 羅登從上麵下來 , 站在外麵，而他曾想幫著趕這馬車，但他的過度悲傷打消了他的這一念頭。他坐在馬車夫旁邊 , 在整個路途中和他談起馬和道路 ， 還談起 是 誰管理那些小旅館，當他和皮特還是上伊頓公學念書的男孩子時 , 是誰曾為他乘坐過這麽多次的馬車套上馬。在馬徳伯裏一個穿黑衣的馬車夫駕一輛雙馬車接待了他們。 當他們坐進馬車時 , 麗貝卡說 : “ 羅登，這又是那輛破舊的馬車 ， “ ， 這塊座椅上的 布 很大一部分已經被 這些 蟲子 吞噬了 --- 哈哈 - 皮特爵士 ， 這裏 有 著一塊 汙漬 ! - 我看到 那個小五金商人 道森 突然朝上拉起靠著他 的 那 百葉窗 - ---- 為這塊汙 漬 - 當時皮特爵士還發過一場脾氣。正是他打碎的我們從南安普敦為你的姑媽帶回來的一瓶櫻桃白蘭地酒弄上的這塊汙漬。啊 , 時間過得真快！在那幢別墅那兒站在她的母親旁邊歡蹦亂跳的那女孩，那不可能是波利 · 托爾博伊斯。我記得她 , 一個曾穿著襤 褸 衣服 在花園裏采摘的 雜草小頑童。
"Fine gal," said Rawdon, returning the salute which the cottage gave him, by two fingers applied to his crape hatband. Becky bowed and saluted, and recognized people here and there graciously. These recognitions were inexpressibly pleasant to her. It seemed as if she was not an imposter any more, and was coming to the home of her ancestors. Rawdon was rather abashed and cast down, on the other hand. What recollections of boyhood and innocence might have been flitting across his brain? What pangs of dim remorse and doubt and shame?
羅登說： “ 好姑娘， “ ，他把兩個手指觸摸到他的黑紗帽圈 , 向那幢別墅前的人們給予他的致意回禮，蓓基優雅地到處向她還認得的人鞠躬並致意。這些人的認可對她來說是有說不出來的開心。而這次當她回到了她祖先的家中時，似乎就好像她不再是一名招搖撞騙的騙子了。羅登顯得相當羞愧，並在另一方麵又顯得很沮喪。是什麽樣的童年的往事和天真浪漫的回憶可能會迅速掠過他的大腦？是什麽樣的暗淡的悔恨，懷疑和羞恥在他心中陣陣發痛啊 ？
"Your sisters must be young women now," Rebecca said, thinking of those girls for the first time perhaps since she had left them.
“ 你的妹 妹 們現在必定長大成年輕女性了， “ 麗貝卡說，從她離開她們以來也許第一次想到她們 。
"Don't know, I'm shaw," replied the Colonel. "Hullo! here's old Mother Lock. How-dy-do, Mrs. Lock? Remember me, don't you? Master Rawdon, hey? Dammy how those old women last; she was a hundred when I was a boy."
“ 不知道，我是 小灌木林 ， “ 上校 回答說 。 “ 你好！。 這是洛克老媽媽 . 洛克夫人 , 你好嗎 ? 你還記得我，對嗎 ? 嗨 , 羅登少爺嗎 ? 夫人 , 這些老婦人活得很長壽啊 ; 當我 還 是 一個 孩 子的時候 , 感覺 她 就像活到一百歲了 “
They were going through the lodge-gates kept by old Mrs. Lock, whose hand Rebecca insisted upon shaking, as she flung open the creaking old iron gate, and the carriage passed between the two moss-grown pillars surmounted by the dove and serpent.
他 們要通過由老洛克夫人看守的小旅館的門，麗貝卡執意要與她握手，當老洛克夫人猛地打開吱吱作響的舊鐵門時，馬車從頂上雕塑有鴿子和蛇的造型的長滿了苔蘚的兩根柱子之間經過 。
"The governor has cut into the timber," Rawdon said, looking about, and then was silent--so was Becky. Both of them were rather agitated, and thinking of old times. He about Eton, and his mother, whom he remembered, a frigid demure woman, and a sister who died, of whom he had been passionately fond; and how he used to thrash Pitt; and about little Rawdy at home. And Rebecca thought about her own youth and the dark secrets of those early tainted days; and of her entrance into life by yonder gates; and of Miss Pinkerton, and Joe, and Amelia.
“ 我們父親砍掉了莊園裏的不少樹 ， “ 羅登說道，環顧一下周圍，然後沉默不語 --- - 蓓基也 是 如此 。他們兩人都相當激動，而他們想到過去的時代。他想起伊頓公學，他的母親，他記得她，是一個冷淡而嫻靜的女性，和一個去世了妹妹，他曾是很深情地喜愛她 ; 以及他過去經常如何用鞭抽打皮特，還想起了家裏的小小的羅迪 。 而 麗貝卡想到她自己的年輕的時候和那些早期的墮落的歲月的十分 秘密 的往事 ，以及 想到 她 直到跨進這家族 的 大 門才算真正進 入 了 生活 ，還想到了平克頓小姐，喬和阿米莉亞 。
The gravel walk and terrace had been scraped quite clean. A grand painted hatchment was already over the great entrance, and two very solemn and tall personages in black flung open each a leaf of the door as the carriage pulled up at the familiar steps. Rawdon turned red, and Becky somewhat pale, as they passed through the old hall, arm in arm. She pinched her hu*****and's arm as they entered the oak parlour, where Sir Pitt and his wife were ready to receive them. Sir Pitt in black, Lady Jane in black, and my Lady Southdown with a large black head-piece of bugles and feathers, which waved on her Ladyship's head like an undertaker's tray.
礫石鋪的人行道和露台已被擦很幹淨。一個宏大上了色的 死者菱形絞 章 的 喪事標 誌已 經掛在大門口上方，隨著馬車在熟悉的台階上停下來，兩個穿黑衣的表情非常沉重的高個人士猛地打開每一扇門。當他們倆手挽著手經過舊的大殿時，羅登臉色漸漸變成了紅色，蓓基的臉色有些蒼白。在他們進入橡木裝飾的客廳時，她在緊緊地抓住丈夫的手臂 . 皮特爵士和他的夫人正準備在那客廳接待他們。皮特爵士穿黑衣，簡夫人也穿黑衣，而紹斯唐夫人頭上戴著一個很大的裝飾有喇叭形的玻璃珠子和羽毛的黑色帽子，它就像殯儀員手上拿著的一個托盤在夫人頭上晃動著 。
Sir Pitt had judged correctly, that she would not quit the premises. She contented herself by preserving a solemn and stony silence, when in company of Pitt and his rebellious wife, and by frightening the children in the nursery by the ghastly gloom of her demeanour. Only a very faint bending of the head-dress and plumes welcomed Rawdon and his wife, as those prodigals returned to their family.
皮特爵士 的 判斷 是 正確 的 , 她 並沒有離開 。 在 皮特 和他的脾氣倔強的妻子陪同下，紹斯唐夫人以她的可怕的憂鬱情緒的行為舉止恐嚇住幼兒園的孩子們，而保持一種莊嚴肅穆而冷酷無情的寂靜使 她 感到 心 滿意足。當這些回家的浪子回到他們的家裏時，她卻隻極輕微地彎曲頭飾和羽毛來歡迎羅登和他的妻子 。
To say the truth, they were not affected very much one way or other by this coolness. Her Ladyship was a person only of secondary consideration in their minds just then--they were intent upon the reception which the reigning brother and sister would afford them.
說實話，在這樣或那樣的一定程度上 , 他們並沒有受到這種冷漠態度的很大地影響。恰好當時在他們的心目中夫人隻是作為一個陪襯的人物來考慮 - -- 他 們隻關心家中占支配地位的哥哥和嫂嫂將給予他們的接待 。
Pitt, with rather a heightened colour, went up and shook his brother by the hand, and saluted Rebecca with a hand-shake and a very low bow. But Lady Jane took both the hands of her sister-in-law and kissed her affectionately. The embrace somehow brought tears into the eyes of the little adventuress--which ornaments, as we know, she wore very seldom. The artless mark of kindness and confidence touched and pleased her; and Rawdon, encouraged by this demonstration on his sister's part, twirled up his mustachios and took leave to salute Lady Jane with a kiss, which caused her Ladyship to blush exceedingly.
皮特， 臉色發紅 ，走上前去 抓住 他 弟弟 的手，並 與麗貝卡握手 , 向她淺淺欠身鞠躬 致意。但簡夫人拉住她 弟媳 的兩隻手，並深情地吻了她。不知何故與她相擁引發這位小女冒險家眼含淚花 --- - ，如我們所知道的，她很少這樣流淚的。這簡夫人仁慈和信任的樸實的印象感動和愉悅了她 ; 而羅登受到他嫂嫂所表現出的極熱情的鼓勵，撚弄著他的胡須 吻一 下 簡夫人向她 致意 並 告辭， 這使夫人感到非常受窘極其臉紅 。
"Dev'lish nice little woman, Lady Jane," was his verdict, when he and his wife were together again. "Pitt's got fat, too, and is doing the thing handsomely." "He can afford it," said Rebecca and agreed in her hu*****and's farther opinion "that the mother-in-law was a tremendous old Guy--and that the sisters were rather well-looking young women."
當他和他的妻子 再一次單獨 在一起 時 ， 羅登說 :” 他 覺得簡 夫人是 一個很好的 小女人 “ 。 麗貝卡說： “ 皮特 也 已經 長胖了，而這場喪事辦得堂皇 , 排場大。 “ 他 有錢付得起 ， ” 並 同意她的嶽 父 的 觀點 “ 那就是 ，嶽母是一個 極可畏 的老 人 - 。 而妹 妹 們都是容貌相當漂亮的年輕女性 . “
They, too, had been summoned from school to attend the funeral ceremonies. It seemed Sir Pitt Crawley, for the dignity of the house and family, had thought right to have about the place as many persons in black as could possibly be assembled. All the men and maids of the house, the old women of the Alms House, whom the elder Sir Pitt had cheated out of a great portion of their due, the parish clerk's family, and the special retainers of both Hall and Rectory were habited in sable; added to these, the undertaker's men, at least a score, with crapes and hatbands, and who made goodly show when the great burying show took place--but these are mute personages in our drama; and having nothing to do or say, need occupy a very little space here.
她 們兩個姑娘也已經從學校立即通知回來出席葬禮儀式。為了貴族家庭的尊嚴，似乎皮特 · 克勞利爵士認為有權利要求這裏應盡其可能多聚集接待所有穿黑衣服的人來送葬。這所房子裏的所有的男人和女傭，救濟院的老年婦女，年老的皮 特 爵士 已 經從他們那裏騙取了一大筆款項，教區執事的全家人及莊園和牧師家中主要的仆人都穿著黑色的喪服 ; 除了 這些人之外，承辦喪葬的男人，至少有 20 個人袖上戴上黑紗 和 黑色帽圈 ，當盛大的葬禮進行時 , 這些人都在作出表麵虔誠的表演 ---- - 但 他們都是我們這出戲劇中扮演的啞劇角色的演員，他們並沒有什麽可以做或者可以說的，在這裏就不需要多敘述了 , 他們隻是裝裝門麵而已 。
With regard to her sisters-in-law Rebecca did not attempt to forget her former position of Governess towards them, but recalled it frankly and kindly, and asked them about their studies with great gravity, and told them that she had thought of them many and many a day, and longed to know of their welfare. In fact you would have supposed that ever since she had left them she had not ceased to keep them uppermost in her thoughts and to take the tenderest interest in their welfare. So supposed Lady Crawley herself and her young sisters.
對 於她的 小姑們 , 麗貝 卡 一直在惦念著 她 作為 家庭 教師曾 在 她 們心目中 所具有 的 地 位，但 她 坦率 而懷念地 回 顧那段往事 ，並極 認真地詢問 她 們 學 習情況 ，並告 訴 她 們 每 一 天她 都會 想到 她 們許多許多次 ，並 渴 望了解 她 們 的 幸 福 , 健康 。事 實 上， 你會 猜想得到 自從她離 開 她 們以來 ， 她沒有停止 過 在她的 心中對 她 們深深的牽掛 ，並 最體貼入微的關心她 們 的 幸 福 。克 勞 利夫人自己和她的 兩個 年 輕 的 個小姑 也應該是這麽想的 。
"She's hardly changed since eight years," said Miss Rosalind to Miss Violet, as they were preparing for dinner.
當她們正準備換裝去吃晚飯時 . 羅莎琳德 小姐 對維奧萊特 小姐 說： “ 八年以來 她幾乎沒有 變化 , “ 。
"Those red-haired women look wonderfully well," replied the other.
“ 這些紅頭發的女人看起來特棒， “ 另一位回答說 。
"Hers is much darker than it was; I think she must dye it," Miss Rosalind added. "She is stouter, too, and altogether improved," continued Miss Rosalind, who was disposed to be very fat.
她的 頭發顏色 比 以前 更 深了 ，我想她 頭發 一定染 過色 ， “ 羅莎琳德 小姐 補充道。 “ 她 長 得更胖了 ， 並 完全 變 得更好看了 ， “ 自己就 已變得 非常胖 的 羅莎琳德小姐繼續說道 。
"At least she gives herself no airs and remembers that she was our Governess once," Miss Violet said, intimating that it befitted all governesses to keep their proper place, and forgetting altogether that she was granddaughter not only of Sir Walpole Crawley, but of Mr. Dawson of Mudbury, and so had a coal-scuttle in her scutcheon. There are other very well-meaning people whom one meets every day in Vanity Fair who are surely equally oblivious.
“ 至少她 自己沒有故作姿態擺架子，記得她曾經是我們的家庭教師， “ 維奧萊特小姐說，她明白表示她 把自己放置在 適當 應有 的 謙虛謹慎的 位置上 , 這是她應該作的 ， 她 完全忘了她不 僅是沃波爾 · 克勞利爵士的孫女，而且還是默徳柏裏的道森先生的外孫女 ， 既使 這樣 , 在她祖傳的紋章中還有個煤鬥子呢 , 說明她們以前的地位是卑微的。在名利場中 , 我們每一天都會遇見許多像她一樣有善心而愛健忘的人 。
"It can't be true what the girls at the Rectory said, that her mother was an opera-dancer--"
如那些牧師家裏的女孩子所說的 :” 她們的母親是一個歌劇院裏的舞女 - “ 這不可能是真實的吧 .”
“
"A person can't help their birth," Rosalind replied with great liberality. "And I agree with our brother, that as she is in the family, of course we are bound to notice her. I am sure Aunt Bute need not talk; she wants to marry Kate to young Hooper, the wine-merchant, and absolutely asked him to come to the Rectory for orders."
“ 一個人不能 選擇 他 們自己的出生， “ 羅莎琳德胸懷非常寬廣地回答說。 “ 我同意我 們的哥哥的意見，當她是我們家裏的人時，當然我們一定會關注到她，我敢肯定布特姑媽沒有必要談論什麽了 , 她想 把 凱特 嫁 給年輕的酒店老板胡珀，為了向他定購酒 , 毫無疑問地就把他請到家裏來了。 “
"I wonder whether Lady Southdown will go away, she looked very glum upon Mrs. Rawdon," the other said.
另一 位 說到 : “ 我 想知道 紹斯唐 夫人 是不是會離開這裏，她很憂鬱地看著羅登夫人， “ 。
"I wish she would. I won't read the Washerwoman of Finchley Common," vowed Violet; and so saying, and avoiding a passage at the end of which a certain coffin was placed with a couple of watchers, and lights perpetually burning in the closed room, these young women came down to the family dinner, for which the bell rang as usual.
維奧萊特發誓說 “ 我希望她 要走就走 , 不留她 . 我 本人不 會閱讀 ≪ 芬奇利 ·康門的 ” 洗衣婦 ”» 一書 . “ ，說完了這番話之後，她避免走過那段走廊 , 在那盡頭放置著一口棺材，有兩三個守靈者看護著 , 而照明燈光永遠在那封閉的房間裏點燃著，為此，吃飯鈴聲如往常一樣響起 , 這些年輕的婦女從樓上下來吃晚飯 。
But before this, Lady Jane conducted Rebecca to the apartments prepared for her, which, with the rest of the house, had assumed a very much improved appearance of order and comfort during Pitt's regency, and here beholding that Mrs. Rawdon's modest little trunks had arrived, and were placed in the bedroom and dressing-room adjoining, helped her to take off her neat black bonnet and cloak, and asked her sister-in-law in what more she could be useful.
但在 晚飯 之前， 簡 夫人 引導麗貝卡去為她準備好的房間，在皮特管理期間 , 這些公寓和其餘的房子已經呈現相當改善的整齊和舒適的外觀，那裏簡 夫人 看見羅登夫人的外觀樸素的幾個小皮箱已經送到了，並分別放置在臥室和毗鄰的化妝室內，就幫助弟媳脫下整潔的黑帽子和鬥篷，問她還需要什麽東西可能會派上用場的 。
"What I should like best," said Rebecca, "would be to go to the nursery and see your dear little children." On which the two ladies looked very kindly at each other and went to that apartment hand in hand.
麗貝卡說 : “ 我最 想 去幼兒園看 望 你 那 親愛的小孩子們。 “ 她這樣一說 ，兩位女士 很友好地望著 彼此 ，手牽手地走去那裏 。
Becky admired little Matilda, who was not quite four years old, as the most charming little love in the world; and the boy, a little fellow of two years--pale, heavy-eyed, and large-headed--she pronounced to be a perfect prodigy in point of size, intelligence, and beauty.
蓓基很欣賞年紀還不滿四歲的小瑪蒂爾達，稱她是世界上最迷人的小小的愛心和那個男孩，一個兩歲大的小家夥 - -- 蒼白臉色，疲倦的眼睛，碩大的頭部 - -- 她宣 稱他個子長得大 , 就他的 智慧和美麗的容貌而言 , 他將來 會成為 一個 完美的天才 。
"I wish Mamma would not insist on giving him so much medicine," Lady Jane said with a sigh. "I often think we should all be better without it." And then Lady Jane and her new-found friend had one of those confidential medical conversations about the children, which all mothers, and most women, as I am given to understand, delight in. Fifty years ago, and when the present writer, being an interesting little boy, was ordered out of the room with the ladies after dinner, I remember quite well that their talk was chiefly about their ailments; and putting this question directly to two or three since, I have always got from them the acknowledgement that times are not changed. Let my fair readers remark for themselves this very evening when they quit the dessert-table and assemble to celebrate the drawing-room mysteries. Well--in half an hour Becky and Lady Jane were close and intimate friends--and in the course of the evening her Ladyship informed Sir Pitt that she thought her new sister-in-law was a kind, frank, unaffected, and affectionate young woman.
簡 夫人 歎 了口氣 說 :” 我 真 希望 媽媽 不會 堅 持 給 他 那麽 多 的 藥 物， “ 。 “ 我 常常想， 如果不服用這些 藥 物 , 我 們本來 都 應該會好得多 。 “ 然後 簡 夫人和她 新結識 的朋友 便談起 這類有關 兒童醫 療保健 的機密 話題 ， 如 我 所 理解的 , 這樣的談話應該 是 讓 所 有母 親 和大多數的女性 感到 喜 歡 的 . ，五十年前， 現 今 的作 家，當 時 還是 一個有趣的小男孩， 吃過 晚飯 後 要隨夫人們一起離開飯廳 ， 我 記 得 很清楚， 她 們 主要是 談到 她 們自己患 的疾 病， 而今 並 就 這 個 問題我 直 接 請教過 兩三 位夫人 ，我 總 是從 她 們 那 裏得到承 認 , 稱這種情況 沒有改 變 。 還是讓 我的 非 常公 正 的 讀 者 們 自己 來觀察評論一下這個問題吧 . 在她 們今晚吃完了 甜點 心而大家 聚集 在 客 廳談話時 ---- 留心聽一聽 , 再來公布這個不解之謎 吧 。 唉 -- - 半小 時之後蓓 基 和 簡 夫人 就成為關係密切 和 親 密 的朋友 - ---- 到 晚 上 簡 夫人告 訴 皮特爵士 稱 她的 小姑子 是一個善良， 言詞坦率 ， 真摯而充滿 深情 的 年 輕 的女人。
薩克雷 - 作者介 紹
薩克雷 ，（ WiiliamMake peace Thackeray 1811 ～ 1863 ）英國小 說家。出生於富裕家
庭（父 親是東印度公司的稅務員兼行政長官）， 4 歲時父死母改嫁，靠遺產生活。曾在 劍橋大學 學 習，後又去德國遊學。存放遺產的銀行破產後，靠寫作謀生。因積勞成疾， 52 歲便患心髒病逝世。 薩克雷 是 處於發展階段的英國工業資本主義社會的嚴峻法官。其作品對英國社會的種種勢利風尚、投機冒險和金錢關係進行了極深刻的揭露。他著有多部小說、詩歌、散文、小品，以特寫集《勢利人臉譜》（ 1847 ）和代表作 長篇小說《名利場 》（ 1848 ）最 為有名。小說主要描寫窮畫家女兒蓓基 · 夏 潑，在受盡歧視後，靠色情和機智，不擇手段向上爬的故事。通過夏潑的沉浮遭遇，深刻地揭露了社會的腐朽墮落，生動地塑造了以斯丹恩勳爵為首的一係列厚顏無恥、荒淫奸詐的貴族資產階級形象。為此， 馬克思 曾 讚譽他跟狄更斯等是英國的 “ 一批傑出的小 說家 ” 。 ------ 摘自網絡百科
長篇小說《名利場 》是 薩克雷 的成名作和代表作。它以辛辣 諷刺的手法，真實描繪了 1810 ～ 1820 年 攝政王時期英國上流社會沒落貴族和資產階級暴發戶等各色人物的醜惡嘴臉和弱肉強食、爾虞我詐的人際關係。這部小說篇幅宏大，場麵壯觀，情節複雜，心理刻畫深入，其尖銳潑辣的諷刺風格更為精彩。 薩克雷 因《 名利場 》叱吒文 壇， 與 狄更斯 齊名。
薩克雷 還創作有長篇小說《彭登尼斯》、《亨利 • 埃斯蒙德》、《 紐克 姆一家》、《弗吉尼 亞人》，中篇小說《巴利 • 林 頓的遭遇》 ，短篇小 說集《 勢利眼集》等。其中以《亨利 • 埃斯蒙德》和《 紐克 姆一家》最 為出色。 薩克雷 以英國有教 養的紳士所特有的機智幽默甚至玩世不恭的態度無情地展示生活的真實，是對英國 18 世 紀由 斯威夫特 、 菲 爾丁 、 斯特恩 等人 開創的諷刺小說傳統的繼承和發揚。他成為英國 19 世 紀小說發展高峰時期的重要作家 。 ------ 摘自網絡百科
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